Stewart added: “I think the style of game they play, I think that’s right up my alley – they’re a strong, fast, physical team.”

For all the turmoil Stewart endured with the Sabres, he still has some happy memories.

“I liked Buffalo,” he said. “My kids were born here. I lived here in the offseason. Great relationships. The trainers were great. The ownership was great. It was honestly one of the classiest organizations that I played for. So it’s good to see that they’re building in the right direction this year, they’re starting to turn around.”

When O’Reilly, the older brother of Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly, appeared in his first NHL game since Feb. 15, 2012 on Tuesday, it marked the first time they had played together in a regular-season NHL contest.

“For a family and for us to get a chance to play in a National Hockey League game together, it’s pretty special,” Cal O’Reilly said. “Not many people can say they played with their brother in the NHL.”

O’Reilly assisted on Jake McCabe’s second-period goal, his first NHL point since Feb. 5, 2012.

Notes: Sabres winger Tyler Ennis, out the last 12 games with an upper-body injury, skated regularly with his teammates Thursday morning and plans to practice again today. If it goes well, he could play Saturday afternoon, the Sabres’ last game before Christmas, coach Dan Bylsma said. … The Sabres also scratched defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (healthy) and winger Marcus Foligno (upper body).